X-ray equipment



De. 14, 1948. B. F. WEHMER' 9 X-RAY EQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-Shae; 1

Filed Sept. 26, 1946 Dec. 14,1948. BEWEHMER 2,456,096

XI-RAY EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 11152272251: lira/16f. def/me) Q Maw 7% GM Dec. 14, 1948. B. F. WEHMER X-RAY EQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 26, 1946,

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 v X-RAY EQUIPMENT Bruno F. Wehmer, Melrose Park, Ill., assignor to The Wm. Meyer Company, Chicago, Ill.,a corporation of Illinois Application September 26, 1946, Serial No.699,533

4 Claims. (Cl. 250-58) This invention relates to X-ray equipment and, more particularly, equipment adapted for bothradiographic work and the making of fluoro scopic examinations, especially of human subjects.

Among the objects of my. invention is to provide in a single unit, which, in general, includes an X-ray tube, facilities which enable a physician or X-raytechnician quickly to adapt the unit for the making of fluoroscopic examinations while the patient is either sitting, standing, or lying down on a table, as the case may be, and which also enables the unit quickly and easily to be adapted for the making of radiographs, with the patient prone or supine, the underlying purpose being to economize on operating time and also on equipment cost by providing a relatively inexpensive single unit which will meet all the ordinary variant requirements of an oiflce or laboratory where the volume of business is not so large as to demand separate equipment for each individual type of work., I

Another object is to expedite fluoroscopic ex aminations of patients by making it unnecessary for the operator to separately re-position the X-ray tube each time the placement of the fluoro scopic screen is varied.

Other objects will be pointed out as the detailed description progresses.

. The present invention provides a unit comprising an X-ray tube and a fluoroscopic screen, together with supporting structure for the tube and screen which is operative in such manner that thetube and screen move in unison, so that whenever the screen is moved by the operator-in scanning the subject, either in the vertical plane or the horizontal plane, the tube follows, and is, consequently, at all times in alignment with the screen, requiring no separate positional adjustment. Thus, in making fluoroscopic examinations,

the operator has only to move the fluorescent screen vertically or horizontally, as the case may be, in scanning the patients body, and is not required to make separate positional adjustments of the tube each time the screen is moved to another area.

Another feature believed to be broadlynovel consists in the provision of a supporting structure for the tube and screen which not only keeps those two elements in alignment, as above indicated, but is adjustable in such manner as to enable the tube and screen to be co-related forthe fluoroscopic examination of sitting or standing patients and, alternatively, for the fluoroscopic examination of patients lying prone or supine on a table, and which, in theone case,

enables up and down movements of the screen and tube in unison, while, in the alternative case, enabling ,unified movements of those elements in the horizontal plane.

In ,the drawings which accompany specification: Fig.1 :is a perspective View of a complete unit adjusted for -fluoroscopic examination of a patient lying on a table;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedlfragmentary plan view showing-the fluoroscopic screen and X-ray tube housing in the same positional adjustment as in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken at 3--3 of Fig. 2 and shows the X-ray tube and fluoroscopic screen in position for making a fluoroscopic examination of a patient lying on a table; Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; 1 7

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partially in section, taken atline 5- 5 of Fig.3;

.Fig. 6 is a detail of the hingeinterconnecting the screen arm with the radius rod;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken at 'I-'! of c Figs 8 is a sectional viewtaken at 8-8 of la t" Fig. 9 is a plan view of the entire unit, showing the X-ray tube and fluoroscopic screen-in this - position. forexamining a sitting or standing patient;

, Fig. IQ is a side elevation of the unit with the X-ray tube and screen positioned as in Fig. 9 and illustrating the unified vertical movement of those elements;

Fig. 11 is a plan view'of the unit with the X-ray tubeand screen in the same setting as depictedinFi-gs. 1 to .4, i'nclusive, and illustrating how those two-elements can be swung in unison through an arcabout "a vertical axis;

7 -12 is an elevational view showing how the X-ray tube can be inverted for making radio-' graphs without interference from the fluorescent screen; and. Fig. 131s aniedgewise elevation showing how the X-ray .t'ubeand screen can be tilted in unison when adjusted for making fluoroscopic examinations of a patient. i

Referring first to Figj'h the unit'there shown in, perspective includes a' pedestal 'lll' havingv a base H,- and. is adapted to stand on a floor in upright posture, as depicted. Said pedestal is built up of appropriatestructural steel shapes and preferably has a sheet metal covering of attractive. design which serves to conceal certain pedestal on rollers 11 (see Figs. 3 and 4) by virtue" of which fact carriage I5 is bodlily movable j horizontally, rollers l 1 serving as gu di g a r ers for said bars. Rollers ll, of which there ere a total of eight (four only being s howndn'Fig; 3)" l balanced by a suitable counterweight, not shown,

which retains the carrier, together with carriage l5,at'an'y vertical position to whichit may lie-set.

Because the mechanism inside 'the 'pedestal is well known in the art, it 'is riot thoughtnecessary to illustrate that part of the unitin'great'er detail.

As depicted most clearly in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, bracket 16 is acasting havinga horizontall'y projecting leg l"8 a (Fig. 5) e'xtending perpendicularly 'to bars f3 and T4. fIfhe bracket Hi has a vertical bore 16b in which is rotatably journaledga pin Ill/the upper and lower ends of which engage a casting 20, the lower 'end of said pin being secure'dto said cas'tingby a smaller Din 2|.

The upper portion 20a of casting in is bore horizontallyto provide a bearing 'in which is journaled a horizontal shaft 2L To the outer end of shaft'22 isse'curedacasting 23 having a pair of arms 21,25 between which is suspended on trunnions at 26 and 21 a housing 28 in'which is mounted eex-iey tube, together with a high voltage'transformer. "Neither the transformer nor'th'e X r'ay'tube is shown, but,

as viewed in Figs. 1'and 3, the tube is so oriented that the X-ray beam is projected upwardly. I

Attached to casting Z3 is a bracket 29 which supports a shutter 30 having'anaperture of variable size for confining the projected X-ray beafii" to a desired. area.

Fi i'redly connected "to shaft 22 at the end ther'e 1 of remote from'housing 2's is ian elongated firem ber 3| whicl is herein defined as a radius rod and which extends perpendicularly to shaft-"'22. An m 33, bifurcated at oneend to formia' pair of complementary legs '34,j35 (see Fig. '6) is pivotally connected at 31 to the ireefen'd of radius rod 3|, and is also bifurcated at the other end to form an additional pair of complementary legs 38, 39, between which is pivotally susp nded a fluoroscopic screen d ll mourited on trunnions 4|, 42 which are threaded toreceive wing nuts 43, 44 by which the screen may be locked "in any adjusted rotational position. v Screen '40 comprises a "glass plate coated with a phosphor which fluoresces in response to X- rays and is mount'edin a frame liwhich is provided with handles 46; 741 bywhich-thejoperator swings the screen, as desiredfabout its trunnions 4|, and performs other screen manipulations as hereinafter described p e I 7 M The pivotal connection joining radius 'ro'd 3| and legs 34, of arm 33"is shown indetlail in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive. Thefree endof said radius rod is provided with a bo'rfefiB through which passes a pintle lll havingf unning lit in eachof "legs steed 35"and provided with n 4 sdrew-slotted head 49a which has a reduced diameter at 49b having a running fit in the end of bore 48.

A disc 50 is keyed to pintle 49 and is provided with a series of equally spaced rectangular pe-- ripheral notches 5|. The outside diameter of said disc has a running fit in bore 48.

A detent- 52 consisting of a net strip of spring steel "is fitted in "a slot 53 (Fig. 7) and pivotally anchored on a screw 54 in radius rod 31. Said detent has a tooth 52a (Fig. 6) designed to engage any one of notches 5! with which it happens to register and serves, when so engaged, to restrain disc 50 and pintle 49 against rotation. The end of detent 52 adjacent pin 54 is slotted to form a resilient tail piece 52b (Fig. 6) which bearsagainst the surface defining one end of slot 53, thus yieldably but firmly holding detent 52 in locking engagement with disc 50. Said detent is also provided with a lug 520 having an eye 55 for engagement by a hooked tool by which the detent can be forced out of engagement with disc 50, thus enabling said disc and pintle "49 to be rotat'ed-byas'crew driver. 7

A pair of coil springs EB'and 5'7 embrace p'intle 48 within bore "48 and are each anchor-ed at one end 'by pins '58 "and"59-. The dnane'nered end or each spring is bentto for-man arm esa, 5761 which extends later-ally of the pintle through a slot but in radius rod "37 to engage a cross 15mm "interconnecting legs 34 and 35. springs 56-, 51 is to counterbalance the weight of arm '33 and the fluoroscopic screen carriedthereby when the unit is adjusted as snow-n in Fig-s. 1 and 3-. In order to achieve an accurate balance, it is necessary to suitablytension springs 55 and 5-1. This is accomplishedhy withdrawing detent 52 from looking engagement with 'd'iso"50 and then "turning pintle to with a screw -arive'r. Whenthe oorr'ect'tension 'is obtained, the detent is released, whereupon the pintle is locked against further "rotation.

Y shaftjz z, togetnerwithradius 'rod 3'! aridarm 3 3, rorm eon eintiy, what is herein "termed a yoke, -ment1nea as a 'whol'eby reference numeral 6i, and said assemblage is sodesignated-because it serves to maintain afiX'ed. TelaltidlishibbtWn the X-ray tube and the fluoroscopic screen, ex-

cept 'as modified by rotation of arm 3'3 "aboutthe pivotal joint 31.

As exhibited in Figs. -1 and '3, the X-r'ay-tube and screen are positioned for making '-a -fluoros'copic examination of a patient lying on atable G2; and it will be apparent that in th'ecourse of'such anexamination the tube andscree'n can be rnoved in unison in a horizontal are by retating yoke 6! together with casting -20 about pin [9 as a center. "And it'al'so will *be apparent thatyokefil can be rotated 'bod-il-y in bearing ZOM'aboutth'e axial center'ofsh'aft 22-, thus tilt-- ing "the Xe-ray tube with its'housing 28, "an-(lat the same'tiine re'volvingscreen 40 so as'tomaintain -said screen 'in operative alignment withthe X-ray beam.

By rotating yoke 61 about the cent'er-ofshaft 22 through an angle "of 180 degrees from the p'osition'in which it isshowm'i'h 'Fig. '3, the X ray tube maybe inverted, as'sl'iown in Fig. ar-id arm 33 may be turned down 'about 'its pivotal center, as shown "in that figure, thus positioning the X-ra'y tube forradiogiafihlrlg 'a blatlhtlying en the tab e. It is eet'necessary fort terpos'e' that the screen turned'do'wn, 'asshown' in Fig. 1 2, unless-itfisdesired'toraisethe X-ray tube t'esueh an elevation "that the screen would The function of inteiferewith the table. In making radiographs of a patient lying on theitable,the tube can be swung through an arcuate horizontal path, as illustrated .in Fig. 11. 1

When it is intended to make fluoroscopic examinations of a patient in standing or sitting posture, .the patient is. placed immediately in frontoi pedestal H), with the X-ray tube ,posi tioned at the rear of the pedestal and the fluoroscopic screen in front of the patient and on the side of the pedestal opposite the tube, as depicted in Figs. 9 and 10. Transition of the tube and screenfrom the positions thereof illustrated in Fig. 3 to those of Figsiland is accomplished by first raising carriage iii to its uppermost'level, togetherwith the yoke, tube and screen, then rotating the yoke clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2,

through an angle of 180 degreesabout its vertical axis (pin i9), and thereafter rotating the yoke aboutthe axis of shaft 22 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 10.

Yoke 6| can be locked against rotation about the axis of shaft 22 in any of several positions by an index pin 63 which is operative to engage any one of several appropriately positioned index holes in shaft 22.

With the tube and screen positioned as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the operator can move the screen both vertically and horizontally for the purpose of examining different areas of the patients body; and in doing so he simultaneously moves carriage i5 and yoke 6i and thus efiects a corresponding movement of the X-ray tube, so that the latter remains at all times in operative alignment with the screen. Handles 46 and 41 are gripped by the operator when thus manipulating the screen.

Springs 56 and 5'1 are useful for counterbalancing arm 33 only when the yoke is positioned as per Fig. 3. When, on the other hand, the unit is adjusted as per Figs. 9 and 10, said springs serve no purpose and must be restrained against acting on arm 33, because they would operate to swing said arm into alignment with radius rod 3| which obviously is not desirable. For the purpose of restraining said springs, While at the same time leaving arm 33 free for rotation by the operator about the pivotal center 3'1, there is provided a manually operable latch 64, pivotally secured by a screw 65 to radius rod 31 and having a notch 66 which is adapted to engage the two spring arms 56a and 51a and hold them in retracted position.

While I have shown, for purposes of illustration, what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited otherwise than as defined by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. X-ray equipment comprising an upright pedestal, a carriage, means forming a part of said pedestal for supporting said carriage, said means enabling up and down bodily movements of said carriage under control of the operator, said carriage being also bodily movable horizontally relative to said pedestal under control of the operator, a bearing supported by said carriage exteriorly of said pedestal and pivoted for rotation in a horizontal plane, said bearing having a horizontal bore, a yoke including a shaft journaled in said bore and a radius rod connected at one end to said shaft and extendin perpendicularly thereto, an arm connected to the other. end of saidf radius rod for swingingmovement in -a planepassing through the radius rod, an X.-ray tube carried-by said shaft and rotatable therewith',;and.a fluoroscopicscreen carried by saidarm=, said yoke being eifective to hold said screen and tube in cooperative alignment, the rotatability of said yoke permitting said screen and tube to abespositionedin alignment at opposite sides ofsaid-j pedestal and, alternatively, to be positioned in; alignment at one side of said pedestal,

e 2. X.-ray equipment comprising an upright pedestal, a carriage, means forming a part of said pedestal for supporting said carriage, said means enabling ,upand down bodily movements of said carriage under control of the operator, a bracketiforming a part of said carriage and located-exteriorly of saidpedestal, a bearing block pivotallymounted on said bracket for rotation in a horizontal plane, said bearing block having a horizontal bearing bore therein, a yoke including a shaft journaled in said bearing bore, said yoke also including a radius rod connected at one end to said shaft and extending perpendicularly thereto and an arm having one end connected to said radius rod remotely from said shaft, an X-ray tube connected to one extremity of said yoke and carried thereby, and a fluoroscopic screen connected to the ot er extremity of said yoke and carried thereby, said yoke being bodily rotatable in a vertical plane in said bearing bore and bodily rotatable with said bearing block in a horizontal plane.

3. X-ray equipment comprising an upright pedestal, a carriage comprising a pair of parallel laterally spaced bars and a bracket attached to said bars and carried thereby exteriorly of said pedestal, a carrier supporting said carriage and supported by said pedestal, said carrier being movable vertically to raise and lower said carriage, said carriage being movable horizontally on said carrier, a bearing pivotally mounted on said bracket for rotation in a horizontal plane, said bearing having a horizontal bore, a yoke including a shaft journaled in said bore, said yoke also including a radius rod connected at one end to said shaft and extending perpendicularly thereto, and an arm having one end connected at one end to said radius rod remotely from said shaft and for swinging movement in a plane passing through the radius rod, an X-ray tube connected to one extremity of said yoke and carried thereby, and a fluoroscopic screen connected to the other extremity of said yoke and carried thereby, said yoke being bodily rotatable in a vertical plane in said bearing and bodily rotatable with said bearing in a horizontal plane.

4. X-ray equipment comprising an upright pedestal, a carriage, means forming a part of said pedestal for supporting said carriage, said means enabling up and down movements of said carriage under control of the operator, a bearing block supported by said carriage exteriorly of said pedestal and pivoted for rotation in a horizontal .plane relative to said carriage, said bearing block having a horizontal bearing bore therein, a yoke including a shaft journaled in said bearing bore and a radius rod connected at one end to said shaft and extending perpendicularly thereto, index means for locking said shaft in a plurality of rotational positions, selectively and individually, an arm connected to the other end of said radius rod for swinging movement in a plane passing through the radius rod, said arm was in alignment atone side of said pedestal, the

pivotal -connecbion between saint arm and radius,

rod including a pintle, a coil spring embnaclng.

said pintle-andanohored thereto atone end, the other end ofi'said springengaging-said arm, said. spring being effective to eountenbalance. the Wighbfif saidarmwhen-sari'd radius rod is verti'wal, said pimilebeingmotat-aible for varying the torsion 0P said spring; mean-s for releasably locking said' pin-file aigaii-nst notation, and amanually openable latch for resbrafin-mg the action of said spring 2o,

8; oa -said; arm. 111mm to mmmzsuoh action whm' said: radius rem isv horizontal;

BRUNO; F

KEEERENGES CITED- The" following references are of record in the filo of; this patent? UN-I'IZEDWSIATES. PATENTS,

Number Name Date 1,594 ,-1'7 1 Grebe Ju1y-27, 1:926 2,1:51g87-7: Walker Mar; 28-, 1939- 22325014 Simon Feb. 1 8; 1941' 2,259,036 Goldfiew-et al; Oct; 14, 1 941- -2;3I1,58 1=. Simmon Feb. 16, 1943 EOREIGN PATENTSI v Nmben Gountry Date Great Britain Oct; 20; 19371 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,456,096. December 14, 1948. BRUNO F. WEHMER It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 75, and column 7, line 1, claim 4, strike out the words said arm being rotatable in a Vertical plane when; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of April, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant G'ommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

